This book seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice by identifying the main challenges which the implementation of the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) is posing in language teaching. It reports on the outcomes yielded by prominent European research projects and thematic networks and presents the insights of a prestigious set of scholars, practitioners, and policy-makers from different parts of Europe. The book is divided into four main parts. The first section examines the coordination of language studies in the European Higher Education Area, from general language policy development, to the practicalities of coordinating whole degrees or drawing up ECTS study guides. The second part analyses the concept of competencies within the Bologna process. Methodological aspects are broached in the third thematic block by sharing practical accounts and experiences across Europe. The final part seeks to clarify the most important aspects with regard to evaluating language learning in the new credit system, and examines learning outcomes, student work hours, or ECTS credits.

The field of Second Language Teacher Education (SLTE) is mainly concerned with the professional preparation of L2 teachers. In order to improve teaching in the multilingual and multicultural classroom of the 21st century, both pre- and in-service L2 teachers as well as L2 teacher educators must be prepared to meet the new challenges of education under the current circumstances, expanding their roles and responsibilities so as to face the new complex realities of language instruction. This volume explores a number of key dimensions of EFL teacher education. The sixteen chapters discuss a wide variety of issues related to second language pedagogy and SLTE. Topics discussed include the importance of SLA research; competency-based teacher education approach; classroom-based action research; SLTE models; the value and role of practicum experience abroad; the models of pronunciation teaching; multicultural awareness and competence; the influence of teachers’ cognitions, emotions and attitudes on their emerging and changing professional identities; the potential of classroom materials and technology; and CLIL and ESP teacher education. English as a foreign language teacher education: Current perspectives and challenges will be of interest to teachers-in-training, teachers, teacher educators and to those educational researchers interested in how L2 teaching is actually learned in professional preparation programmes. Juan de Dios Martínez Agudo is Associate Professor of EFL Teacher Education at the University of Extremadura, Spain. His current research interests include Second Language Acquisition and English Teaching Methodology. His most recent books are Oral Communication in the EFL Classroom (2008), Errors in the Second Language Classroom: Corrective Feedback (2010) and Teaching and Learning English through Bilingual Education (2012).

Spanning the divide between the theory and praxis of competency-based teaching in tertiary language education, this volume contains invaluable practical guidance for the post-secondary sector on how to approach, teach, and assess competencies in Bologna-adapted systems of study. It presents the latest results of prominent European research projects, programs of pedagogical innovation, and thematically linked academic networks. Responding to a profound need for a volume addressing the practical aspects of the newly designed language degrees now being rolled out across Europe, this essential contribution pools the insights of a prestigious set of scholars, practitioners, and policy makers from diverse parts of Europe and the US. It will inform crucial decisions about instituting and evaluating competencies in a new generation of language studies programmes. ​

This book provides an overview of current trends and practices in English Language Teaching (ELT) across the European Union. It offers insights into key ELT issues which are at the forefront of twenty-first-century classrooms. It discusses theoretical and empirical work based on topics such as linguistic imperialism, English as a Medium of Instruction, contrastive language analysis, and the interplay between English and the use of countries’ respective native languages. It also explores the challenges of English Language Teaching under different circumstances such as, while using different technological platforms, working with different learner groups (those with Special Educational Needs) and revising traditional practices in grammar and vocabulary teaching. Throughout the book, the link between policy, theory and practice is explicitly highlighted and exemplified. The book is of interest to ELT instructors, course designers, language teachers and teacher trainers, and students enrolled in pre-service English training courses.

Based on original research and novel concepts, this book investigates the nature and use of terminology from linguistic and applied viewpoints. Throughout, problems with terminology, such as overuse by teachers and cases of synonymy and polysemy, are considered and solutions are offered. Part One looks firstly at some basic concepts, then draws important distinctions between pedagogic and scientific terminology, and between transparent, opaque and iconic terms, before examining the historical, lexical and grammatical nature of terms. Part Two attempts to estimate the value and relevance of terminology in language teaching and describes the use and knowledge of terminology in various language-teaching-related constituencies: learners, teachers, textbooks, grammars and research. It concludes with a discussion of the criteria for evaluating terms and an analysis of terms used in ELT.

In a time of globally changing environments and economic challenges, many institutions of higher education are attempting to reform by promoting standardization approaches. Meaning-Centered Education explores the counter-tide for an alternative vision of education, where students and instructors engage in open meaning-making processes and self-organizing educational practices. In one contributed volume, Meaning-Centered Education provides a comprehensive introduction to current scholarship and pedagogical practice on meaning-centered education. International contributors explore how modern educational scholars and practitioners all around the world are implementing a comprehensive framework that supports meaning making in a classroom. This edited collection is a valuable resource for higher education faculty and scholars interested in renewing the deep purposes of higher education.